Process of and apparatus for making hammers, &amp;c.



No. 642,542. Patented Jan. 30, I900. E. D. WOODS.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING HAMMERS, 8L0.

(Application filed Mar. 22, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet l.

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No. 642,542. Patented Ian. 30, I900. E. D. WOODS. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING HAMMEBS, 8w.

(Application filed Mar. 22, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Mndel.)

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD D. WOODS, OF GRANVILLE, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO THE WOODS SPECIALTY COMPANY, OF NE\V YORK.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING HAMMERS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,542, dated January 30, 1900.

Application filed March 22, 1898. Serial No. 674,786. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. WOODS, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Granville, in the county of Washington, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making Hammers and Similar Articles and in Apparatus Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a process and apparatus for making hammers, hatchets, axes, and similar articles. Its object is to construct a hammer or similar article of steel or wrought-iron in which the head and the helve are in one piece and to make such an article from a block of steel or iron easily, quickly, and without waste of material.

It consists of the process and the devices hereinafter described, and claimed in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying my invention and that may be used in my improved process,

I and Fig. 2 is a view of myimproved hammer.

I-Ieretofore it has been usual to make the head and helve of ham mers in separate pieces, or if made in one piece the hammer has been made of cast-iron. Both of these forms have serious defects, the former being liable to have the head fly off or the helve break and the latter being too weak and brittle to be of value for general use. By my improved apparatus and processI am enabled easily and quickly and without waste of material to make a steel or wrought-iron hammer, hatchet, or similar article with the head and helve in one piece.

My improved hammer has great strength, is springy, and strikes a better blow than the ordinary hammer. The helve is strong, the head cannot fly off, and wooden handles can be placed upon the helves, which are easily renewable when worn out.

The apparatus and process shown and described herein are shown and described as applied to a hammer, although it is evident that it is also applicable to hatchets, axes, and other similar articles having a head and a helve.

I will now proceed to describe my improved process and apparatus as illustrated by the drawings.

A is a block of steel or iron. It is heated, or preferably the upper part of it is heated, to a little more than a red heat. It is then placed in a recess B of the anvil-die O, as shown in Fig. 1.

D is a die having a point (I, the straight side 01 and a curved side d, curved substantially as shown in Fig. 1. The die D is brought 6o downward against the upper part of the block A, so that preferably point d strikes the upper surface of block Aa short distance from one of the edges of the upper surface of the block, as shown in Fig. 1. Die D is forced downward into block A until it reaches-the position shown by dotted lines d d d". Die D thus divides the upper portion of block A into two parts a and a, these parts being separated from each other, but remaining connected to the lower portion a of block A.

As the point d of the die D on ts into the block the curved surfaces d, acting as a wedge, force the part a of the block first to the right and then downward until part a is forced against the surface 0 of anvil-die O and lies in substantially the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The part a of the block is thus bent downward into a position which is substantially at right angles to the length of the block and substantially in the direction of the helve of the hammer to be made. The part a is then drawn out roughly under a triphammer until it is practically the length of the helve. The entire block is then heated to a little more than red heat and is forged in any usual manner, so that the part a is made into the finished helve of the hammer, the portion a into the face of the hammer, and the part a into the claw of the hammer.

I preferably employ soft steel, although other steel or iron may be used.

Just before the die D strikes downward I preferably heat to a little more than red heat only the upper portion of block A, although, 5 if desired, the entire block A may be thus heated. I find that when the lower portion a is kept comparatively cool the entire block is held much better in the anvil-die O.

The shape and proportions of the dies and 100 block and the amount of heat to be used can of coursebe varied to suit the particular circumstances of the case without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a hammer made by my improved apparatus and process. E represents the helve, and F the head, consisting of the face II and the claw G. K is a wooden handle secured in any convenient way to the helve E. The helve and the head are thus in one piece and are made preferably of steel. The process of manufacture is simple, cheap, quickly performed, and involves no waste of material. The resulting hammer or other ar ticle has great strength, is springy, and strikes a better blow than the ordinary hammer or other article. Neither the helvc nor the head can be easily broken. The head cannot fiy 01f, and the wooden handles K are easily renewable.

I have not shown the die D in full or the means for operating it or its connection with such means, as the parts of the die not shown and the operating means and the connection between the die and such operating means form no part of my invention and may be endlessly varied without affecting it. Any operatingand connecting means and any form for the unshown portion of the die may be employed that are suitable. Likewise I have not shown the support for the anvil-die O, as any suitable support may be used and as the support for the die forms no part of my inventiou.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of manufacturing hammers and similar articles from a block of steel or iron, which consists in heating the block, cutting downward into the block so as to divide its upper portion into two parts each separate from the other part but each connected to the lower portion of the block, bending one of the parts of the upper portion of the block downward until it is substantially at right angles to the length of the block, drawing out and forging the said part of the block into the finished helve, the other part of the upper portion into the claw, and the lower portion of the block into the face, of the finished hamm er or other article, substantially as set forth.

2. The process of manufacturing hammers and similar articles from a block of steel or part of the upper portion into the claw, and.

the lower portion of the block into the face, of the finished hammer or other article, substantially as set forth.

The process of manufacturing hammers and similar articles from a block of steel or iron, which consists in heating the upper part of the block, cutting downward into the block so as to divide its upper portion into two parts each separate from the other part but each connected to the lower portion of the I block, bending one of the parts of the upper portion of the block downward until it is substantially at right angles to the length of the block, heating all of the block, drawing out and forging the said part of the block into the finished helve, the other part of the upper portion into the claw, and the lower portion of the block into the face, of the finished hammer or other article, substantially as set forth.

at. The process of manufacturing hammers and similar articles from a block of steel or iron, whichconsists in heating the upper part of the block, a little higher than red heat, cutting slantingly downward into the block from a point in its upper surface near one edge thereof so as to divide its upper portion into two parts each separate from the other part but each connected to the lower portion of the block, bending one of the parts of the upper portion of the block downward until it is substantially at right angles to the length of the block, heating the block a little higher than red heat, drawing out and forging the said part of the block into the finished helve, the other part of the upper portion into the claw, and the lower portion of the block into the face, of the finished hammer or other article, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with an anvil-die for holding a block of steel or iron, a cutting-die having a cutting edge, a straight side and a side curved away from the straight side at substantially right angles, thereby forminga wedge for cutting into two parts the upper portion of the block and bending down one part substan tially at right angles to the block, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with an anvil-die having a recess for holding a block of steel or iron,

one wall of which recess is substantially the height of the block and the other wall of which is considerably less in height than the block and having an anvil-surface forming the upper surface of said lower wall of the recess, a cutting-die having a cutting edge, a straight side and a wedge-shaped side for cutting into two parts the upper portion of the block and bending down one part upon the said anvilsurface of the anvil-die, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDW'AR'D D. WOODS.

Witnesses:

H. T. SEYMOUR, F. T. PEMBER. 

